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Blazers Training Camp Day 1 Report

First Training Camp practice, first impression: wow.  

For whatever reason, seeing the guys together in one place in basketball gear is a completely different animal from reading their names on a roster sheet or going through Media Day interviews one by one.

In one corner, you see Nic Batum, Travis Outlaw and Martell Webster.  At another basket, it's All Star Brandon Roy.  Across the way it's LaMarcus Aldridge and Juwan Howard. Of course you can't miss Greg Oden or Joel Przybilla.  Over there talking to Gary Payton?  Oh that's Jerryd Bayless. Who's that with the Honey Buns on his head? Andre Miller! Right, nice pickup.  Not to mention Steve Blake calmly shooting his free throws or Dante Cunningham bouncing around the building. Or Jarron Collins lecturing about nuclear physics (kidding). Or Ime Udoka trying to lock up international star Rudy Fernandez during drills.

The last time we've seen NBA bodies at the Practice Facility was during pre-draft workouts.  For whatever reason, the full assemblage of Blazers was more impressive than Wayne Ellington and Danny Green.  Is jaw-dropping going too far? Probably.  But it's a tempting word to throw out there.  I can see why Kevin Pritchard, Nate McMillan and the others who have watched scrimmages are so confident entering the season.  

This team isn't just loaded on paper.  They are loaded.  

Just take a look for yourself.

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Here's a full-size version. Pan slowly left to right and tell me you're not impressed.  

Those seated watching: Chad Buchanan, Tom Penn, Kevin Pritchard, Paul Allen, Larry Miller, Mike Born and Harry Glickman.

Drills

Granted, we were only able to see about 20 minutes of action today.  The guys were working through team defense concepts: closing out on shooters, recovering against drivers and securing defensive rebounds.  Jason Quick chided Nate McMillan for so obviously staging the defensive work during the open media session.  McMillan laughed it off but the call out was accurate: Nate is trying to send a message early and loudly that playing time will be divvied up, in part, by defensive effort and success.  As it should be.  The guys responded by really overdoing the team talking on defense.  It was a veritable cacophony as the ball swung around the perimeter.  I guess that's day one for you.

After practice broke, I caught up a little bit with Brandon and Nate.  Here's what they had to say.

Brandon Roy

Magic Johnson Award

I hate to do this because SB Nation recently informed me that I've exceeded our annual site allotment of praise for a single player. But Brandon Roy went and did it again.  While shooting cool down jumpers I heard Brandon mention to one of the assistant coaches that he was looking to "repeat my award."  

What award would that be? All Star? All-NBA? Wrong and wrong.  He was talking about his Magic Johnson Award, given out by the Pro Basketball Writers Association, according to Jason Quick, to "recognize the player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation with the media and fans."

Only Brandon Roy would set this as a preseason goal.  Was a full campaign in the works?

I'm trying to repeat. I'm going for the award again. I'm not going to start a campaign too early because it's a long season but I'm trying to win it back to back. I asked them if anybody has done that before and they said no.

So is the current award prominently displayed on your fireplace mantle?

They haven't given me my award yet. They're going to give it to me on the first preseason game. [Once I get it], I'll set that up nice. 

Keep in mind he was joking about running a campaign for this thing.  But he was dead serious about wanting to win it again.

Hollingerization of the NBA

Did I ever expect a top 10 player in the NBA to be citing pace-adjusted statistics off the top of his head during the first day of training camp?  No, I didn't.  Neither did Kevin Pelton. And now he needs a new pair of pants thanks to this quote from Brandon to Joe Freeman regarding the team's need to improve its defense.

We went over the numbers. We didn't get a lot of stops but we didn't play fast so our numbers are a little up and down. We were like 4th in the league in points allowed but since we didn't get a lot of stops, our defensive rebounding looks bad. A lot of our numbers are [bad]. We have to get better at holding teams to a lower field goal percentage. Period. That's the only number we should care about. We have to get that field goal percentage down. That's what we're working on. 

Does John Hollinger smoke a cigar while reading that or what?  It's one thing to have Kevin Pritchard or Stan Van Gundy shouting you out. It's quite another to have Brandon Roy mulling your principles.  How much of his new $80 million dollar salary do you think Brandon would be willing to donate to fans in need of an ESPN Insider subscription?  

Defense

Advanced stats talk aside, Brandon took up the discussion of defense on a number of fronts.  First, I asked him whether what they worked on today was "man," "zone," or something else. 

It's a man defense but it's that we're so tight and we're helping so much it appears that it's a zone just to throw the opponent off.

Would running more zone help protect you on the defensive end?

I think a little bit but my thing is this year I'm trying to get better defensively. My focus throughout this whole preseason is getting better defensively. I told coach during the preseason, I know we've got Nic but let me guard 2s. I'm trying to build that. When it comes down to playoff time if it's the Lakers, they've got Kobe and Artest, I'm going to have to guard so I want to build on that. 

You've slimmed down. Do you feel comfortable guarding 1s, 2s and 3s right now? 

Yeah, my body feels good. I feel light. I feel like I can stay in front of 1s, 2s and 3s. But there's Chris Paul and those guys out there, I don't know if I want to burn down too much energy chasing those guys around. [laughs] I feel comfortable guarding them for possessions if I have to.

On Dante

We heard yesterday from Dante about Brandon. Here's Brandon about Dante...

He's active. I didn't know he was that bouncy. We were doing some drills, running and jumping.  Some good speed. We'll slow things down a little bit more and I'll be able to get a better read on him. He can play the 3 or the 4, that's the exciting thing about him.  We've got a lot of versatile guys and he's one of them.

Nate McMillan

Zone Defense

With an older, smarter, deeper roster an obvious question facing Nate McMillan this season is whether or not to bring back more zone looks than he showed last year.  If the Blazers went zone last year, it was primarily with the Spanish Connection on the court along with the other second unit guys.  I asked Nate if we should expect more or less zone this year.

Zone is a part of our package. We like that. We like having the change, being able to show a team something different. We're going to play zone.

I thought two years ago we played more zone than we did last year. I thought we would play more zone last year than we did. Our man became a better defense and zone became more of a disruptive defense. It's part of our package and we're going to continue to use it in different situations.

That's been the team that we've used the zone with. The second unit. They're smaller, a little bit more active at the guards, last year with Sergio and Rudy.

Brandon and Nicolas are a better man team than a zone team.

Wait a minute: did he just tip us off that Nic will continue starting alongside Brandon Roy?  Or maybe he was just talking about last year... maybe.

Concerns

I asked Nate for his thoughts on my reaction to the coaches and management Media Day.  Specifically, does he have any concerns entering the season?  His answer: living up to expectations.

We know every year you have to improve, you've got to get better. Expectations are going to get higher regardless of what we put together year after year.  We as people expect to get better. That's like working at your job and not getting a raise. You expect a raise. That's where we are. You expect to get better so the expectations we've put them on ourselves, we've set goals for ourselves. We expect to be better. That's the plan. 

Mr. Allen

3967558000_588a8033c5_medium

Joe Freeman has a nice transcript of Paul Allen's comments.  Not sure he said all that much but any time Allen addresses the media it's at least somewhat newsworthy.  You can see above that Allen is still sporting his beard.

Update: Contrary to the previous paragraph, it looks like Mr. Allen did say something quite significant to John Canzanohe recently had heart surgery.

Other Celebrities and Odds & Ends

The star power in the building was a little bit overwhelming today.  Not only was the entire brain trust there but Hersey Hawkins, Gary Payton, Harry Glickman and OSU Basketball Coach Craig Robinson were all in attendance too.  

Despite Payton's best efforts (antics), Coach Robinson drew the most media attention.  He told a small group of reporters that it's still shocking to answer the phone and hear "Air Force One is on the line."   Robinson, of course, is the brother of the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  Robinson also rhetorically asked a small group of media members, "Do you have a sister? Imagine if she was the 1st lady! It's a weird feeling. WEIRD. I'm still not used to it." I can see how that might end up being weird. 

If you're looking for more on Robinson, check out Ryan White's interview with him on Livewire.  

Seeing Coach Robinson reminded me of this old interview we did with Robinson here on Blazersedge.  it was one of the first interviews he did after accepting the job at Oregon State if I recall.  Man, that feels like a long time ago.  

Brian T. Smith has more practice notes here.

McMillan said "the honeymoon's been over for a while," when referring to high expectations for the team. McMillan added that, while everything looks good on paper, nothing real has happened yet.

Kix Pix

You know how I roll.  Got a bunch of pictures of the guys' sneakers. Really like Batum's.  Martell's too. Here's the full-size slideshow with details. 

And here's a link to more great pictures of things other than feet from Casey Holdahl.

Finally, I can't tell you how invigorating it is to be back in the gym after what felt like a tremendously long offseason.  I hope you've enjoyed the first 24 hours back. I know I have. I have some leftover thoughts from Media Day that will go up tomorrow morning. Until then...

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Comment 74 comments  |  8 recs  | 

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thetinfoil@gmail.com

by TheTinfoil on Sep 29, 2009 5:32 PM PDT reply actions  

I love following this team.

"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.

by Cablinasian on Sep 29, 2009 5:37 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

Especially when we have folks like Ben. to follow it through.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Sep 29, 2009 6:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

It is sooooo cool

that Harry Glickman was there. It’s one thing to trot out a few old timers for a special event. It’s another to let some of the original team leaders still show up and be connected to the team.

Props to teh Blazers for doing that!

"I'm a man, but I can change.....if I have to......I guess." - Red Green

by antediluvian on Sep 29, 2009 5:48 PM PDT reply actions  

MAYBE BRANDON SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED ON WINNING A REAL AWARD LIEK THE MVP!!!!!

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a woman healthy, wealthy, and wise. That's why you all are wiser than me. It's cloudydays."

by cloudydays on Sep 29, 2009 5:50 PM PDT reply actions  

i already love this team

on paper we are really good and the players are having fun and its nice to see all the old-timers there. i think that this team is headed for a very special year

by CincyBlazerFan7180 on Sep 29, 2009 5:56 PM PDT reply actions  

It's beginning to feel real.

I thought that these Portland Trailblazers were a figment of my imagination. Some ethereal manifestation, a perfect construct of logic and dream like Plato’s forms. I could never imagine that they were as real as you and me. Brandon Roy, a real, living, breathing person! Nate McMillan, really calling, directing and teaching in the flesh. It is as if the gods of good and evil from my thoughts have have found avatars with which to roam our realm. Philosophy be damned. The heart of mysticism has condescended itself to play its game among us. And no logic in the world can comprehend the magnitude of the gravity that weighs down on our very souls.

The off season lasts way too long.

μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευε.

Blazersedge.com || New to Blazers' Edge?

by T Darkstar on Sep 29, 2009 6:00 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

don't you mean "ethernetical manifestation"?

"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make." -The Beatles

by 92wastheyear on Sep 29, 2009 6:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

I think its like a type of bug infestation.

Like the ethernetical habituli.

Sounds dangerous!

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Sep 29, 2009 6:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

...like a fire in a nursing home.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Sep 29, 2009 6:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

scary

"And in the end
The love you take
Is equal to the love you make." -The Beatles

by 92wastheyear on Sep 29, 2009 6:32 PM PDT up reply actions  

Ben, great work...You will be sore after tonight but eventually you will look like Rex naked...
Finally, I can’t tell you how invigorating it is to be back in the gym after what felt like a tremendously long offseason.

by broyposse on Sep 29, 2009 6:05 PM PDT reply actions  

Love Joel's face in the background, lol

"Ain't nothin' in this world for free."

by Arby on Sep 29, 2009 6:10 PM PDT reply actions   3 recs

I like the half sleeve for LMAi

"Goals are good. Plans are better." -Ben.

by Sabonis4Ever on Sep 30, 2009 1:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

It was a full sleeve

He’s gotten too buff and it only looks like a half sleeve.

M—

by Mortimer on Sep 30, 2009 1:57 AM PDT up reply actions  

How is Rudy looking?

"Lighten up, Francis" - Sergeant Hulka

by Sexual Tyrannosaurus on Sep 29, 2009 6:10 PM PDT reply actions  

Hot I'm sure.

"We believe" -Rudy Fernandez

by twiggs on Sep 30, 2009 5:55 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

I’m going for the award again. I’m not going to start a campaign too early because it’s a long season but I’m trying to win it back to back. I asked them if anybody has done that before and they said no.

Selfish.

"If the Lakers are Hollywood, then we are South Central." - Clipper fan.

by Cablinasian on Sep 29, 2009 6:18 PM PDT reply actions  

Information overload the last 2 days

"I think he can still play" - Kevin Pritchard on Juwan Howard

by Norsktroll on Sep 29, 2009 6:23 PM PDT reply actions  

Yeah. Yesterday’s first post is no longer on the front page.

Backcourt game - 24/7

by pxilpooshr on Sep 29, 2009 6:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Back to normal times.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Sep 29, 2009 6:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

Go into user settings

and increase main page posts to 20.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 30, 2009 2:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Oh. duh. Thanks.

My team went to the playoffs in my first year.

by pxilpooshr on Sep 30, 2009 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yes...according to Rice

on Courtside Monday.
needed to do it to get more room for his ink…

by DucRider on Sep 29, 2009 7:04 PM PDT up reply actions  

Thank you so much, Ben, for the work you've put in over the

last couple of days. It’s like coming upon an oasis in the desert when you’re about to die of thirst. You’re the man!

"Aneurysm".

When Outlaw wins a game on a last-second shot, it’s called an "annthefaneurysm". QualityPie

by annthefan on Sep 29, 2009 7:04 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

Ben is a swell dude

"Goals are good. Plans are better." -Ben.

by Sabonis4Ever on Sep 30, 2009 1:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

We like Ben

but will we still respect him in the morning?

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 30, 2009 2:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

Here's a quote, just for you
"How do you think the lost weight will change your game this year?" He [Roy] responded: "It won’t change much, but I don’t think I’ll be defending many small forwards any more – those dudes are big."

http://trailpost.today.com/2009/09/29/media-day-2-impressions-a-few-words-with-webster-batum-and-oden/

Rudy, we have a problem…can you say “3 guard lineups”?

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 29, 2009 8:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

and this
A quick apology to all of you, I did not get a chance to speak with Rudy at all. He was a fantasma. He was out in the room for a total of three minutes. I stepped over to speak to Batum, and he was gone.

So what would you rather have as a media day reporter, a surly Andre, or a vanishing Fernandez?

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 29, 2009 8:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

a vanishing rudy...until i realize that all the females in the vicinity have also vanished as well....

"There are a few teams you have to watch out for in the fourth quarter."
"Yeah, but Portland definitely is not one of them."

-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters at the end of the third quarter with the Hornets leading 74-59. Portland later ends up winning 97-89.

"They don't mind him shooting that shot at all. Rudy Fernandez is not that great of a 3pt shooter."

-New Orleans Hornets broadcasters right after a Rudy Fernandez missed 3pter. Rudy Fernandez finished the game with three 3pters on six attempts.

by Tofu Anonymous on Sep 29, 2009 9:59 PM PDT up reply actions  

Rudy did 11 minutes of live chat with Casey.

That interview is archived at this link. It is right at the beginning of the video.

Casey did a good job helping Rudy understand most of the questions, but he didn’t understand one question about what part of his game he worked on this summer. I would have liked to hear him answer that one. He seemed honest with his answers and said he was glad they didn’t get Hedo because it would have cost him playing time.

One question was about what part of the game he liked the most – passing, 3-pt shooting, or dunking. He answered passing for assists because it made two players happy. That was one of the best answers I’ve heard from a ball player. It shows where his priorities are at. I watched some of his games this summer and it was clear he likes to pass the ball and create shots for teammates. That was the thing he missed most about how he was used with the Blazers last year.

They don’t have the Miller interview on the tape or the Joel interview (which was particularly entertaining).

I didn’t watch the interview in the main room because the audio was terrible again this year. You would think they could put a microphone on the table in front of each player. So I don’t know why Rudy’s interview there was shorter. Maybe because he had more trouble understanding the English questions in that chaos?

He also did an interview with Barrett that was shown on Courtside. That should be archived somewhere on the Blazers site.

.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 29, 2009 11:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

I've seen both of those interviews

I was just contrasting the amount of time he was “avaliable” to the rest of the media versus other Blazer veterans. You mentioned jet lag elsewhere. Would it have been too much for him to fly back to the states last Friday and use the weekend to get acclimated before meeting the press? (if jet lag was indeed the reason he left the PF after a shorter-than-average media session?)

I also heard that Nate’s going to take it easier on Rudy and Nic during camp and preseason, because they spent the summer playing in Eurobasket. This precaution seems reasonable. But it also may affect how much of an opportunity McMillian will have to integrate them into certain lineups and give other Blazer wings like Webster more time to gel with Brandon, LMA, Miller, etc

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

I was disappointed that Nic and Rudy didn't get more rest this summer.

That will probably catch up with both of them in Dec or Jan. Last year Nic spent the summer here, but Rudy visibly tired in the middle of the season. If Nate gives them more rest in preseason that is probably good. Of course, you’ve said Rudy is only going to play about 15 minutes a game, so he shouldn’t get too tired. :)

Rudy, jet lag, get back here earlier? Who knows? He mentioned some commitments on his blog, plus they had some celebrations after winning the European championship.

This whole issue is something to consider if Roy or Oden get invited to play on the USA team in the future. It’s a big honor to play for your country, but I hate to see either of those guys playing all summer given their knee issues.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Sep 30, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

Nate said he's playing Rudy more at PG in camp

I figured you’d like hearing that…but Blake’s still not giving up any of his minutes so Rudy can get more PT

(I enjoyed this article about Steve)

There has never been any flash to Blake’s game, and there likely never will be. The 6-foot-3, 172-pound Blake is an old-school point guard in an ever-changing, modern league. To some, Blake is a throwback — a player who will never be more than a simple set-up man. But according to many of his teammates and several Portland coaches, Blake is irreplaceable.

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 10:33 PM PDT up reply actions  

Wow! There were some people questioning Quick's article

as to whether Brandon really said the things he reported on Monday. This goes far beyond that article.

Monday, Roy drew a small line in the Blake-Miller debate, saying he feels extremely comfortable playing with Blake. Tuesday, Roy stated Blake’s selfless style makes him feel limitless on the court.

“I hadn’t played with that in a while,” Roy said. "I was playing with point guards — the new-school point guard, who is aggressive and is kind of looking for his (points). But, you know, I played with Blake and I was like, ‘Oh, OK. This is great.’ "

Two days in a row! One day I can understand to make Blake feel good. But two days seems to go beyond just wanting to make Blake feel better if his starting role is taken away. Brandon is clearly delivering a message about who he wants to play with. Remember he did the same thing with Batum last year before the season starts.

It’s really interesting that Brandon wouldn’t just tell Nate what he wants in a private conversation. That would seem to be just as effective. It’s almost like he’s also sending a message to Miller.

by BlazerFanSince1970 on Oct 1, 2009 2:59 AM PDT up reply actions  

Of course he is

1) Nate wasn’t blowing smoke when he said Steve is the starter.
2) Nate has my backing on it. Nate and I are on the same page on this team, we don’t have player/coach conflict. We stick together.
3) You’re going to have to earn it.

I’m not too worried about Nic and Rudy wearing down, because they aren’t 38-40 mpg players. They are young and healthy. They’ll be fine.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Oct 1, 2009 5:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

The Blazers aren't the only ones who have improved

I think Ben’s writing is approaching starter level.

"HA HA HA HA HA
I'm not laughing, I'm just listing the five ugliest Blazers ever."
- rockingharder

by jamon51 on Sep 29, 2009 8:45 PM PDT reply actions  

But look at the guy ahead of him.

It’s like Rudy.

Disclaimer: everything I know about basketball I learned on Blazersedge.

by pualo on Sep 29, 2009 10:07 PM PDT up reply actions   2 recs

Yeah

but Bedge seems to have managed to carve out a solid role for Ben anyway.

As author of Da BOM (Blazer Optimist Manifesto), I hereby certify that we will win 62 games in the regular season. Disagree at your peril.

by jscot on Sep 30, 2009 2:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

Looking forward to a three-writer lineup

Ben may have to guard Shoals – but he’ll do fine. – Elgin

Without you out there, we're nowhere here

by 22baylor on Sep 30, 2009 11:07 AM PDT up reply actions  

Why was GP at the pf ?

Something to do with OSU since coach Robinson was there too ?
Or , teaching perimeter defense ??
 I would be happy if Rex turned into half the pg the future hall of famer was.
 Nice piece of info Ben, thanks !!

The west is stacked again this year? "Sure, it's stacked ..... below us". Ben

by FrenchieFan on Sep 29, 2009 9:57 PM PDT reply actions  

He was in Portland, since he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame yesterday. I guess he just wanted to stop by the Blazers practice facility with Coach Robinson. GP is now going to be helping OSU. It is not clear if he is coaching, teaching, or just helping recruiting.

I get the paper, so I don't care!

by Name's Ash on Sep 30, 2009 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

Thanks :)

The west is stacked again this year? "Sure, it's stacked ..... below us". Ben

by FrenchieFan on Sep 30, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions  

Payton was interviewed by Canzano Monday afternoon

you can download the podcast at the 99.5 website, Payton came on right after the Schonz

Gary was embarrassed by the Beaver’s struggles as a program and is just now wanting to get involved in the program again, because of Robinson’s influence on the W-L record. The glove said he’d like to teach young kids how to play like he did, back in the day

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

95.5

my fingers never type that right

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 1:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

aww

where is the video? Just drop 5 hours of scattered practice feed in front of me and I’ll be satisfied.

by Ditez on Sep 29, 2009 9:57 PM PDT reply actions   1 recs

Great stuff - in the group photo there is only there with a ring - on the far right

Until that changes he is still my main man.

Maurice Lucas – good to see you back!

Travis: "His length is unbelievable. He's long, it feels like he gets his go-go-gadget arm out there and gets the ball." Dante Cunningham

by lee3022 on Sep 29, 2009 10:40 PM PDT reply actions  

It's funny because he's the only one who looks bored.

*Unless KP has a secret plan that makes this statement incorrect.
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by staylost on Sep 29, 2009 11:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

Aweful lot of bromance in this thread.

Regarding Hedo Türkoğlu:

Look at the bright side, Blazers fans -- you dodged a bullet. He peaked statistically two years ago. He's allegedly 30 but could be closer to 32 or 33 for all we know. (Do you trust Turkish birth certificates? And isn't it weird that he played four years of pro ball in Turkey in the 1990s?)

- Bill Simmons of ESPN.com

by halo_on on Sep 30, 2009 12:06 AM PDT reply actions  

I love that you love him, dude!

Go Portland!!!

I'm in the business of bringing out the best in people.

by ECFIVESTER on Sep 30, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

Wait ...

No I don’t.

I'm in the business of bringing out the best in people.

by ECFIVESTER on Sep 30, 2009 11:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

The Dude abides.

"I never give in to the temptation to be difficult just for the sake of being difficult. That would be too ridiculous"

Jacques Derrida

by Rudyciudad on Sep 30, 2009 2:22 PM PDT up reply actions  

I really like the Portland Trail Blazers

They are a team I enjoy following the adventures of, and I plan on continuing to do so for many reasons— in fact, some of those reasons were described above.

I admit, I dance to a beat of a different drum, and I like how these guys make a tune.

Mortimer

by Mortimer on Sep 30, 2009 1:59 AM PDT reply actions   1 recs

STOP THE PRESSES, MARTELL IS WEARING KOBE'S SHOE!?!?!

We know Martell suffers from Kobe worship, but he is actually wearing Kobe’s signature shoe from last season!?!?!?!?! This cannot stand. Ben please investigate further.

the poster formerly known as sergioftw, in recovery

by NoLook on Sep 30, 2009 7:06 AM PDT reply actions  

It also says "MW8"

I thought he was changing to #23. Is that not happening, or is he just slow at getting new shoes?

BTW, I have those shoes too. I told myself that they are only Kobes if you buy them in purple and gold. I got them in green. They were just TOOOOOOO comfy – since when do basketball shoes feel like pillows? Now I can say I’ve got the Martell Websters.

by StuckeyDuck on Sep 30, 2009 7:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah, they are comfy, it's true.

But after about a dozen hours of playing in them, the LunarFoam in the forefoot totally bottomed out for me, rending the shoes—otherwise in perfect condition—useless. I guess for NBA players who can get a new pair once a week for free, it’s not a problem. Anyway, yeah the MW8 is another reminder of his Kobe-love, as I remember reading he chose #8 since that was what Kobe was wearing. If he changes to 24, we’ll have to get rid of him.

the poster formerly known as sergioftw, in recovery

by NoLook on Sep 30, 2009 9:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

Webster said he wanted 23

but Miles wore it when Martell was a rookie, and the league makes you wait 4 years before you can change your number

When reached 39 years of following Portland basketball you have, be as passionate of the Trail Blazers you will not!

by two4larue on Sep 30, 2009 1:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Andre Miller with his classic offseason wacky haricut!

Denver Stiffs.com: Defending the sovereignty of Nuggets Nation.

by Nate Timmons on Sep 30, 2009 10:30 AM PDT reply actions  

Thanks Beno

Great job as always. I appreciate it that you bring it all together in one place for us. I am very glad that you attend these practice sessions and report on them for us. And thanks for snappin’ away with the camera too. – Elgin

Without you out there, we're nowhere here

by 22baylor on Sep 30, 2009 10:59 AM PDT reply actions  

Ben, I apologize for ever impugning the original source

work you do at BE. You’re bringing some serious A game this season. Superb.

by Royster on Sep 30, 2009 11:30 AM PDT reply actions  

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